


The places he's been.

by Clockworkragdoll



Category: Magic the Gathering
Genre: Comfort, Cuddling, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-10-23 13:46:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10720515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clockworkragdoll/pseuds/Clockworkragdoll
Summary: All tattoos have a story, Ral shares a few of his with Jace.





	The places he's been.

      It was early morning, probably close to two when Ral woke again, a crawling sensation over his left arm. He jerked away, pulling it tight to his chest. Sparks of electricity coursed down his arms as his eyes popped open, as always ready to act at a pin drop even if he was still mostly asleep.

      “Sorry” some one said. Jace’s soft voice from the dark of the room, apologetic, sheepish. “I didn’t mean to wake you,”

      A lazy shrug from Ral and he turned his head, planting a sleepy and sloppy kiss on Jace’s forehead “So it goes, what  _ were _ you doing?” Ral asked, the corner of his mouth turned up as he stared at the mind mage. The effect was not as expected

      “Your tattoo, the one on your arm,” Jace said, scrubbing his forehead dry with the heel of his hand, “I was just looking,” he was quick, defensive, a little apologetic. Ral felt his stomach lurch, it hadn’t been a criticism, but Jace seemed to be bracing for...something, covering up , shutting down.

      “You’re curious,” he filled in the end of the statement for Jace, filing away the nervous reaction to break it down later, a sleep deprived and half awake interrogation would only lead to an argument.

      “Yes,” Jace said, the word coming out on a relieved exhale, the telepath’s shoulders relaxing a fraction, “You have a lot of tattoos, but that’s really the only one you show in public. It’s a dragon, but clearly not any kind from Ravnica. Well, clear to me,” He said. Jace’s thoughts taking the wider, more convoluted road they did when he was overtired, which was far too often for Ral’s liking. 

      “Yeah well, running around shirtless like Gideon is not really an option for me in the Izzet Leauge,” Ral said, smirk sliding into a full grin “but I’m sure I could walk around the house shirtless if you liked,” A different kind of nervousness crept onto Jace’s face, a blush splashing across his cheeks.

      “I wouldn’t complain” Jace said attempting to keep his tone as neutral as possible.

      Ral laughed, his head tilting back filling the room with the rich sound.  “No, I bet you wouldn’t” he said, shifting the blanket down and rolling over onto his stomach. “Take a look all you like then, I’m not going anywhere for a while”

      Jace propped himself up on one arm, fingertips dragging across Ral’s left shoulder. “You never told me you’d been to Innistrad” he said, fingers lingering over the symbol of Avycan at the apex of the roof of the church the one from Tharbane? Jace found the choice in religious iconography odd, one the other hand, the lighting bolt that was striking the building was a striking visual. Ral was nothing if not dramatic. Nestled under it was another tattoo. That one seemed to be part of a larger piece, two men standing swords drawn and touching to form an arch Jace couldn’t help himself, he leaned over and pressed kisses along the sword until it reached the back of Ral’s neck, starting to press kisses down the other. “I don’t recognize the armor these men are wearing though”

      “Those are from Theros,” Ral told him, preening under the affection touches, “Guardians of Meletis, the story was interesting and it was visually appealing, without being a god” He rolled his shoulders and settled his head on his crossed arms. “As for Innistrad there was never really a  good time to bring up that place, not in this context. After you told me what happened with the Eldrazi there, I some how wanted to go back even less”

      Jace laughed and the sound lifted some weight inside Ral’s chest for just a moment. Then the telepath was onto the next tattoo tracing its edge, the Myr Ral knew from how the man’s hand dipped onto his side to follow the line of it’s heavy curved head.

      “What is this?”

      “Myr, they where constructs on a plane called Mirodon, they had amazing constructs,” he rolled onto his side, and  showed him the tattoo above the Myr, a heavy looking segmented clawed creature. It’s limbs appeared to be made of lighting. “This was called an archbound ravager, it was amazing,” a long beat of silence that Ral normally allowed in his story telling. “I tried to go back, some one had closed off the world, I have no idea what happened to it,”

      “Could be nothing, could be that it moved?” Jace offered, but the lie felt strange on his lips, “I’ll ask Ajani when I see him next, he’s knowledgable enough,”

      “Do what you like,” Ral dropped his arm down so he could rest his hand on Jace’s hip, thumb drawing lazy circles over the hip bone. “But for now I’d like to show you the rest of my tattoos,” he said, voice dropping low as he rested his forehead on Jace’s.

      “I’ve seen them before, Ral,” he scolded. For a moment Ral felt offended, before he felt Jace smile. “But I always want to see your tattoos,”

      Ral grinned and pulled the blankets over their heads, making the multiverse stand still for them just a little while longer. 


End file.
